Tree Trimming Service
1, 2 Tree Care
We are a tree service company and we offer tree trimming services to our residential clients in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam and the Lower mainland area.
Eliminate the threat of human harm or property damage. Increase your property value. Create a visually pleasant environment where you feel good.
What is tree trimming?
It is the process of shaping a tree to a specific visual appearance. The goal is to create a visually pleasing design. Trimming doesn’t consider health issues, only the shape and the appearance.
How is trimming different from tree pruning?
Pruning and trimming might seem like the same service on the first look.
The main difference though is that tree pruning is focused on the health of the tree by removing its diseased, damaged and dead parts.
Why is it important to trim the trees?
In the case of a dead or dying tree, you want to remove the branches before they fall and cause injury or property damage.
A common reason for trimming is aesthetic. People want to shape the tree to create a pleasant visual appearance.
Letting more sunlight into the desired area like pool or garden patio.
Cutting long branches to prevent animals from accessing the roof and property.
Trimming the tree reduces the production of sap that falls on the property.
Tree branches may obstruct power lines, communications lines and other city infrastructure.
How often should you trim your trees?
Most mature trees should be good with a 3 – 5 year trimming cycle.
Trim younger trees every 1 or 2 years.
Fruit trees should be trimmed annually to increase their fruit production.
Evergreen trees, on the other hand, can go years without trimming.
What season is best for tree trimmings?
Winter and dormant months are best for tree trimming and pruning. Most trees are dormant from November through March.
During these months, the trees are less susceptible to insects infestation and diseases.
Trees without leaves are easily accessible and it makes it easier to see the branch structure and shape the tree to your desires.
Trees heal faster during the winter and they will be ready for the spring seasons and growth.
Trimming during the winters makes the wounds exposed for a shorter amount of time before the new growth starts. This adds to their healing abilities. The tree can put a lot of new energy into the fresh growth during early spring.
Can you trim the trees yourself?
It really depends on the situation. Is the tree small enough? Is there any potential risk from the tree to you and your property? Is the tree at a safe distance from any potential hazard?
What you need to consider is extra costs for tools, safety gear, rental equipment and most importantly, the risk of injury and damage to your property. Improper trimming techniques can also damage your tree.
What tools should you have if you decide to trim yourself?
Hard hat, safety goggles, work gloves, steel toe boots, handsaw, pruning shares, arborist climbing rope, loppers, chainsaw, harness and wheelbarrow.
Unless you have most of this equipment, renting or buying these items may significantly increase your cost. Calling your local tree services may come as a cheaper solution.
Do you need to trim some trees?
We create safe and pleasant spaces by caring for trees
Consider these tips to make your tree trimming project safe, effective and well-executed
You should never attempt to trim a tree with the use of a ladder. If you need to reach heights, use a pole saw. You’re running a great risk of falling down with the trimmed branches. Secure yourself with a harness and ropes.
Never trim near the power lines. Always reach out to a professional company if there is even the slightest possibility of an injury.
Never attempt to trim large trees. Falling branches may cause a personal injury or damage to your property.
Prepare escape routes in your work area. Falling limbs may be unpredictable and you always need to know your escape routes in case they fall the wrong way.
Never stand under a tree branch your trimming.
Look for V-shaped branches. V-shaped angles are generally weaker than U-shaped angles. Leave u shapes alone and focus on the V shapes.
Consider the size of the branch. Branches over 10 cm in diameter are heavy and you should probably leave these to tree care professionals. Anything under 5 cm is safe to remove by yourself. Anything in between is up to your consideration based on the branch location and other safety hazards.
The best season to trim the trees is in winter or during its dormant season. Lack of leaves will give you a better picture of what to remove. Trimming in winter also reduces to chances of trees being infected by insects or various tree-related diseases.
How much to trim? Consider the overall shape of the tree. You don’t want to create a thin tall tree. Find a good length/width balance of your branches in the context of the whole tree.
Do not paint or tar the cuts. This method doesn’t bring any positives and is outdated.
Always use safety gear like hard heat, goggles and clothing that prevents you from the cuts.
It is a good idea to bring help. Two pairs of eyes and a second opinion may come as very valuable.
Trim on a mild dry day. This will help to prevent the spread of waterborne plant diseases or damage from too cold temperatures.
Trim off the dead or dying branches first. Remove unwanted lower branches o evergreen trees.
Remove overgrown and smaller branches to increase the resource circulation in the tree canopy.
Don’t trim off the branches that keep the structure of the tree.
Cut the branches to the point where they connect to each other.
How to properly cut the branches
Locate the branch collar first. You can find it near the stem tissues at the bottom base o the branch. Make an upward cut on the branch about 5 inches from the main trunk. Cut the branch about 3 inches away from the first undercut and away from the tree trunk. In case the branch falls, it won’t peel off the bark. Remove the leftover stump just outside the branch collar.
You may encounter some challenges during your trimming. Have a look at our tips on how to overcome them.
If a tree is developing a V-shaped juncture, trim one of the branches off while the tree is still young.
Suckering is another challenge posed by some trees. As a survival instinct, trees want to develop multiple sprouts. Cut off the extra shoots at the ground level before they are longer than 6 inches.
Forked trunks are especially dangerous. The hollow center creates great space for insects or pests. On top of that, it is common for one of the trunks to break off. Remove all the extra trunks to keep only the main one.
Multiple branches can weaken the main branch and drain the extra resources. Remove extra branches and keep only the main ones.
Stubs are created when the brach is trimmed too far from the main trunk. This prevents the stub from creating a protective callus and closing the wound. This creates an entry point for insects. Cut off the old stub but don’t cut into the swollen callus tissue.
Tree maintenance tips
Trim your tree annually as part of routine maintenance. This will help you prevent disease or pest and insect infestation.
Regular trimming reduces the need to engage in large and costly trimming projects.
If you encounter an issue, trim it right away to prevent the spread of the problem.
Water your trees regularly and mulch them around the base.
How to select the best tree trimming service
Get multiple quotes from tree service companies to put them into a larger perspective so you don’t overpay. But remember, the cheapest prices are rarely the best ones. Remember that a bad trimming job can cause damage to your property, personal injury and even compromise the health of the tree itself.
Make sure the check references and reviews.
Always require proof of licenses and accreditations from your tree service professionals.
Select a company that has an ISA-certified arborist on site that has the best knowledge and the most recent information on tree care.
Confirm that the company has insurance coverage, personal liability policy and property damage liability.
Always have a signed contract with the scope of work and the exact of money that you’ll pay.
Avoid tree companies with huge discounts, pressure to sign a deal on the spot, door to door “business” without professional credentials.
Tree trimming cost: Factors that determine the price
Location: Where is the tree located on the property? Is it easily accessible? Is there anything under the tree like a fence or pool? Is the tree close to the power lines or property? Can branches be tossed down without any consequent issues? Proximity to any property means that trimmers will have to take special precautions to ensure that tree branches don’t damage it.
Height, diameter and size: Larger and higher trees have more limbs to trim and larger trees often require additional equipment that drives up the costs.
Species: Some species are harder to work with than others.
Risk: Are there any hazards for the workers from the tree? Do we need any extra precautions to put in place? Larger and taller trees also pose more danger as they cannot be trimmed from the ground.
Tree health: Tree health may determine the risk. Unhealthy trees or the ones damaged by the forces of nature become weak and unstable and can pose a significant risk to the workers.
Damage: Damaged unhealthy and dying trees pose a significant risk to stability. Professional companies will usually charge you more for the work. Pest and insect infestation may be a sign that the tree is dying which again is a sign of danger.
Trimming extent: To what extent do you need to trim the tree?. How much canopy will be trimmed?
Accessibility: Is it hard to get to the tree? Do trimmers need special equipment to reach the tree? All of these factors will increase the final price.
Lean: A minor tree lean is expected on most trees. But, the more the tree leans, the more stability issues it might have.
Multiple trunks: Multiple trunks signal bad trimming procedures during the trees’ early life. The more trunks, the higher the price.
Dead trees: Dead trees are unpredictable. It is hard to determine their weakness which can accuse a lot of danger. Some companies don’t make differences between dead and living trees, but you can expect special precautions when trimming dead trees which will bump up the price.
It’s not easy to put a price tag on trimming. The result of tree removal is the removed tree. The result of stump grinding is a removed stump. Both of them are pretty straightforward. But the results after trimming trees are diverse.
The average cost of trimming is $500 and the price can range from $100 – $1500.
1, 2 Tree Care
We create safe and pleasant spaces by caring for trees